1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to convertible children's vehicle seats. More particularly, the present invention involves a multifunction vehicle seat for an infant or toddler, that easily converts to a mobile seat for transporting an infant or toddler outside of a vehicle.
2. State of the Art
Children's vehicle seats and strollers are well known in the art. For years, manufacturers have been improving children's car seat designs to improve the safety and functionality of such seats. Particular functional design improvements include designs allowing greater mobility of the vehicle seats, such that the seats may be easily transferred from one vehicle to another. In addition, many of the children's vehicle seats available today are smaller and lighter, allowing a person to easily carry the seat with an infant or toddler secured therein. As the materials used to make the vehicle seats have become stronger and lighter, the demand for multi-functional seats has risen. For example, many of the children's vehicle seats double as bassinets, miniature cradles, and transportable carriers. Some of the seats are even designed to fit into a stroller housing so that an infant or toddler may be removed from a vehicle and placed in a stroller without disturbing the child in the seat.
Recently, multifunctional car seat/stroller units have also been gaining popularity. In an attempt to eliminate the amount of equipment necessary to operate a car seat/stroller unit, stroller functionality is incorporated into the car seat itself. Integration of stroller parts into a car seat eliminates the need for two pieces of equipment, the car seat and a stroller housing. The singular unit simplifies the process of transporting an infant or child.
One example of a car seat/stroller combination is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,134. The car seat/stroller design of that invention incorporates stroller functionality into a compartment in the base of the car seat. When used as a car seat, the incorporated stroller mechanism is hidden within the base of the car seat. When used as a stroller, retractable stroller legs with wheels extend from the base, providing classic four-legged stroller functionality to the seat. In addition, a telescoping handle built into the back of the car seat/stroller combination is used to push the car seat/stroller unit when operating the device as a stroller.
Other, similar car seat/stroller design combinations also exist. However, many of the designs require extensive effort to convert the car seat to a stroller unit. The additional components also add extra weight to the car seat, making it more difficult to handle and carry. In addition, many of the car seat/stroller combinations involve multiple moving parts prone to excessive wear or breakage.
Furthermore, the traditional stroller designs incorporated into the car seat/stroller combinations in use today are most efficiently operated by pushing the stroller. Although well accepted as the standard method of transporting a child, certain problems exist with such a configuration. For example, in crowds, the stroller unit is difficult to maneuver because the stroller precedes the individual pushing the stroller. Thus, the stroller is often times used to part the crowd. Maneuverability is also often times dependent upon the use of two hands and positions the user slightly forward, making it difficult for the user of the stroller to carry shoulder bags and other items or use one hand for other tasks.
A convertible vehicle seat/stroller type unit having minimal operating parts and which is easy for the operator to maneuver and handle is therefore desirable.